The ancestors of the Scrivener family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Scrivener is for a writer to the court. This name comes from the Old French word scriven, which was the title of the person employed to keep official records of trials.

Scrivener Early Origins

The surname Scrivener was first found in Scriven, a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire. The township comprises about 1598 acres, and includes the villages of Scriven and Tentergate, which latter forms part of the town of Knaresborough. The place name was derived from The Domesday Book[1]CITATION[CLOSE]Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) entry Scrauing(h) which in turn was derived from the Old English expression "Hollow place with pits" [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)

Scrivener Spelling Variations

Scrivener Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Scriven, Scrivener, Scrivenor, Scrivner and others.

Scrivener Early History

Scrivener Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scrivener research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1609, 1608, 1609, 1629 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Scrivener History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scrivener Early Notables (pre 1700)

Scrivener Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scrivener Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scrivener In Ireland

Scrivener In Ireland

Some of the Scrivener family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlanti c. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Scrivener or a variant listed above:

Contemporary Notables of the name Scrivener (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Scrivener (post 1700)

Wayne Allison Scrivener (b. 1947), American former Major League Baseball shortstop who played from 1975 to 1977

Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener (1813-1891), English scholar of the New Testament

David Jeremy Scrivener (b. 1965), Australian actor, best known for his appearances on the television series Bananas in Pajamas

Glen Scrivener (b. 1967), Canadian former football player in the Canadian Football League for 12 years

Christiane Scrivener (b. 1925), French politician

Anthony Frank Scrivener QC (1935-2015), British barrister

Richard Scrivener (1913-1993), British mechanical engineer

Margaret Mary Scrivener (1922-1997), Canadian politician, Progressive Conservative Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1985, Minister of Revenue (1977-1978), Minister of Government Services (1975-1977)

Charles Robert Scrivener (1855-1923), Australian surveyor who selected the site for the Australian Capital Territory and Australia's capital city, Canberra

Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).

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The Scrivener Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Scrivener Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.